Digital three-dimensional object manufacturing, also known as digital additive manufacturing, is a process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. Three-dimensional object printing is an additive process in which successive layers of material are formed on a substrate in different shapes. The layers can be formed by ejecting binder material, directed energy deposition, extruding material, ejecting material, fusing powder beds, laminating sheets, or exposing liquid photopolymer material to a curing radiation. The substrate on which the layers are formed is supported either on a platform that can be moved three dimensionally by operation of actuators operatively connected to the platform, or the material deposition devices are operatively connected to one or more actuators for controlled movement of the deposition devices to produce the layers that form the object. Three-dimensional object printing is distinguishable from traditional object-forming techniques, which mostly rely on the removal of material from a work piece by a subtractive process, such as cutting or drilling.
Additive manufacturing of three-dimensional parts typically includes the ejecting of at least two types of materials. One material is typically called build material, which is the material used to form the structures of the part. The other material is typically called support material since it is used to provide support for the extremely thin layers (16-30 μm) of build material until the part is completed and fully cured. Both support and build materials can be ejected simultaneously or sequentially in each layer forming the part during the manufacturing process. The support material is removed from the part once the part is complete. Previously known removal processes are based on the support material properties. For example, a phase change support material can be removed by placing the part in an oven or heated liquid bath where the temperature of the air or fluid is above the melting temperature of the support material to enable the support material to melt and flow away from the part. A soluble support material can be dissolved in a chemical bath or removed with a directed flow of pressurized fluid.
Manually cleaning the part with pressurized fluid can be done with the system 100 shown in FIG. 4. That system includes a tank 104 having a hinged lid 108 and gloved portals 112. The tank 104 is pneumatically connected to a pressurized source of fluid 116 that terminates in a handheld wand or nozzle inside the tank. The operator places the object or objects into the tank 104, closes the lid 108, places his or her hands into the gloves of portals 112 and grips the part and the wand. The wand is usually provided with a trigger that manipulates a valve to enable the pressurized fluid to be selectively directed towards the part held by the operator. Once the operator determines the support material has been removed from the part, the operator's hands are removed from the portals, the lid is opened, and the part removed for a closer inspection. If support material remains, the part or parts are returned to the tank for additional cleaning. If the support material has been sufficiently removed, the part is returned to processing for packaging or quality inspection.
This system and its method of operation requires multiple cycles because the operator's vision of the part in the tank 104 is obstructed by the fluid spray. This vision obstruction makes the directing of the fluid stream into the numerous nooks and crannies of the part difficult. Thus, the operator may need to remove the part from the washer, visually inspect the part for support material, and return the part to the tank for additional cleaning several times before the cleaning of the part is complete. A cleaning system for parts produced by a three-dimensional object system that is able to clean the parts more thoroughly in a single session would be beneficial.